Thousands of people choke to death every year due to food or other obstructions lodged in their trachea. In such a situation, a victim has very little time to receive treatment, as death can occur within minutes.
A common technique for dealing with a choking victim includes slapping the victim on the back. This, however, is often ineffective and may further lodge the obstruction in the victim's trachea. Another measure is to attempt to remove the obstruction with one's fingers. This is obviously a dangerous technique, as it may result in inadvertent biting as well as the transmission of germs, bacteria, etc. The Heimlich maneuver is yet another measure often attempted. However, not everyone knows how to perform the Heimlich maneuver. Moreover, severe damage to the victim's ribs and/or sternum may result if the maneuver is performed too aggressively.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,662,367 to Gore describes a device for clearing an obstruction from the trachea of a choking victim. The device comprises a tube open at both ends and having a filter within the interior of the tube. One end of the tube can be inserted into a choking victim's mouth and to form a seal around the larynx. The other end extends out of the victim's mouth and forms a mouthpiece for a rescuer. Suction by the rescuer is said to draw the obstruction out of the trachea. The filter is provided to prevent passage of liquids or the like through the tube.
It is apparent that the device of force can only be effective if an adequate seal is formed about the larynx at the back of a victim's mouth. However, such a seal may be difficult to form with a choking victim in an excited state. Such a device would also be difficult to use by the old, the young, or anyone with breathing difficulties who may not have sufficient lung power to remove an obstruction by sucking through a tube end filter. Moreover, the device does not eliminate the possibility of viral or bacterial transmission between the victim and the rescuer.